June 2011 Issue

Cover Story

Cops are cursed by a tragic mix of impatience, skewed priorities, and self-preservation instincts that sometimes fail to rise to those of a drunken frat boy. As a result, traffic collisions have for decades been one of the top two causes of officer fatalities.

Features

Many of the fixed blades built for law enforcement are designed for heavy-duty applications: cutting seat belts and harnesses, hacking through underbrush, breaking windows, prying open doors (not recommended), or they can even be used to puncture liquid containers. These uses will generally destroy any pocket knife you might carry.

The two-year investigation initially targeted corrupt employees at the DMV who sold fraudulent driver's licenses and vehicle registrations to drug dealers, terrorists, organized crime figures, and other scumbags who used aliases to enter and leave the U.S. and otherwise facilitate their criminal activity.

To the casual observer, a discussion of "flashlight technology" seems like gilding the lily. You push a button, a light comes on; you push it again, the light goes off. Today, our flashlights use a wide variety of power sources and types of illumination, and generally cost a lot more than the $1.98 one would pay for a two-cell light at the hardware store.

Columns

When I took over firearms instruction in the academy the first thing I did was try to imbue everyone with the ideas that shooting was fun, anyone can do it, and if there is a problem it is only the technique, and not the person.

Departments

Some days it seems there's always some schmuck hell-bent on ruining my day. There have been times when I was really good at not letting the person get to me, and then there were other times when I wasn't and just added to the drama. In reality it is my reaction to the situation that has either helped or made it worse.

An assault could involve someone shooting into your patrol car or an assailant at the driver's window physically attacking you. Increased awareness and in-car self-defense training and tactical driving practice can help prepare you for this type of attack.

In addition to his patrol duties, Officer Mark Michaud heads up his agency's dive team, which finds and retrieves stolen vehicles and other evidence. He also trains and assists other agencies in water survival and rescues.

The incident started like a bad joke: "A black guy, a white guy, and an American Indian guy enter a restaurant..." But what happened when this diverse group walked into a Whataburger fast-food joint in Tulsa, Okla., shortly after 9 p.m. June 10, 1996, was not funny.

Some actions you take have been classified by Supreme Court decisions as requiring that you articulate a "reasonable suspicion" in order to make them constitutionally reasonable, while others can be undertaken only if there is "probable cause" ("PC"). But what do these terms mean? And how do you match the right level of justification with the kind of conduct you're seeking to justify?

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